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British Bookmakers Set to Make Record Contribution for Rights to Show Horse Racing
British bookmakers are on track to make a record contribution to horse racing next year – with the bill for media rights forecast to increase by nearly £30m.
The Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, Entain, Flutter, bet365, 888/William Hill and Betfred, expect to see a record cost increase to broadcast races.
In 2022, BGC members paid £270.1m for the rights to live stream races for customers and show them in bookmakers.
But that cost is forecast to rise to £285.3m this year, an increase of 5.6%, with members estimating a further increase to £315.2m in 2024, a further bump of 10.5%.
The combined increase for media rights costs is now expected to rise by 16.7% between 2022 and 2024.
The figures are based on data supplied by the Betting and Gaming Council’s five biggest members for horse race betting, then adjusted to include smaller operators, who must also pay for media rights.
Michael Dugher, CEO of Betting and Gaming Council, said: “BGC members are already making a record contribution to horse racing and these figures show that is only going to increase.
“This comes despite a reduction in betting turnover on racing in the last five years and a worrying decline in participation in horse race betting overall.
“Horse racing remains a hugely important, world-leading sport, enjoyed by millions of fans and like the betting industry it continues to support large numbers of jobs.
“I know racing is trying to modernise and reach out to new fans, while also trying to bounce back from the Covid pandemic and deal with some difficult economic headwinds, plus deal with the hit on its funding caused by the Government. The betting industry is dealing with many of the same pressures on our revenues and costs.
“The BGC and our members remain fully committed to working together with the leadership of the sport, including the BHA and others, to ensure a better future for racing. But the fact that we are making a record and growing contribution to the sport cannot be ignored.”
The forecast costs come after the BGC announced their members directly contributed £384m to British horse racing last year in levy, media rights and sponsorship deals.
These figures showed an increase on previous estimates for the regulated sector’s contribution, which had placed it at around £350m a year.
In addition, bookmakers spent £125m on marketing to promote racing and betting through advertisements and partnerships, which helps secure vital terrestrial coverage of the sport and raise revenue for print newspaper titles.
As well as the increased costs for media rights, levy payments are projected to be £99m in 2022/2023, according to the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
This record investment also enabled horse racing to use some of these revenues to deliver record prize money of £179.3m in 2022.
Horse racing is the second biggest sport in the UK, second only to football, with more than five million people attending around 1400 fixtures annually across 59 racecourses.
However, its popularity is in decline. In 2007, 17% of the population participated in horse race betting in the previous year, but that fell to 10% in 2018.
Meanwhile football overtook horse racing betting around the same time between 2017/2018.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has committed to reviewing the Horseracing Levy by next year.
The Horseracing Levy, which is administered by the Horserace Betting Levy Board, goes towards improving the sport, breeding and boosting veterinary care.
Betting operators are working closely with the British Horseracing Authority and racing stakeholders on much needed reforms to the fixture list and race programme which should increase commercial returns from the levy and media rights.
The regulated betting industry fully supports this once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernise horse racing so it can realise its full commercial potential.
The BGC is also working closely with the government on the proposed reforms from the White Paper to ensure those who enjoy betting can continue to do so without unnecessary intrusion, while introducing improved safeguards for the minority who struggle.
Betting shops currently support around 42,000 jobs, contribute £1bn a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60m in business rates to local councils.
The wider regulated betting and gaming industry contributes £7.1bn to the economy, generates £4.2bn in tax and supports 110,000 jobs.
In April DCMS unveiled the Government’s new White Paper on gambling reform, including a number of key measures the BGC had campaigned for.
Those included a new mandatory Ombudsman for the regulated sector, enhanced spending checks online and a new mandatory levy to fund research, education and treatment to tackle gambling related harm and problem gambling.
Each month in Great Britain around 22.5m adults have a bet and the most recent Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.
Meanwhile the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market online is growing in the UK, with the numbers betting on these sites doubling in recent years, and the amount staked in the billions.
AI
QCI to Showcase Agentic Platform Capabilities at IGA 2026
Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading provider of AI-driven operations software for tribal gaming resorts, announced it will showcase its evolving QCI Agentic Platform at the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) Tradeshow & Convention, March 31–April 2, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center (Booth #2735).
The QCI Agentic Platform reflects the continued advancement of the company’s enterprise system, enabling operators to move from real-time insight to real-time action across gaming, marketing, player development, and hotel operations. Designed for on-premise and hybrid environments, the platform supports secure, property-level AI deployment while maintaining full operational control.
Rather than introducing a new system, QCI’s approach extends the capabilities operators already use—bringing analysis and execution closer together within a unified operational environment.
“This is a continuation of the platform our customers already rely on. We’re building on what works and extending it, so operators can act on information faster, without changing the way their business runs,” said Dr. Ralph Thomas, Co-Founder and CEO of QCI.
The QCI Agentic Platform builds on QCI’s established product suite, including:
• AGI56.1, a major platform release featuring more than 1000 enhancements across operations
• Chatalytics, QCI’s conversational analytics interface for real-time data access
• QCI Dispatch, a new core operational tool supporting real-time coordination and execution
Together, these capabilities enable operators to unify data, streamline workflows, and respond more quickly to changing conditions across the property.
Attendees will experience how QCI connects data, decision-making, and execution within a single operational system.
“We’re focused on practical improvements that help teams do their jobs more effectively. This is about making systems more responsive, more connected, and easier to use in day-to-day operations,” added Thomas.
The post QCI to Showcase Agentic Platform Capabilities at IGA 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Eeze
Eeze signs global partnership with EveryMatrix
Eeze, the next-generation casino supplier, has announced a comprehensive global distribution agreement with EveryMatrix, extending the reach of its live dealer and upcoming slots portfolio to EveryMatrix’s worldwide partner network.
Under the partnership, Eeze’s full range of live dealer titles, including its recently launched Fusion Roulette, alongside forthcoming slot releases, will be made available across EveryMatrix’s Game Aggregator Network. The deal covers EveryMatrix’s active markets globally, marking a key milestone for the supplier’s international expansion.
Mikko Hoglund, Partnership Manager at Eeze, said:
“Partnering with EveryMatrix is an important moment for us as we look to push our games to a wider network of players than ever before. We have a lot of exciting product releases to come in the next few months, and know that these games, as well as our existing portfolio, will be well received across EveryMatrix’s customer base.”
Bjorn Sjoberg, Chief Commercial Officer at EveryMatrix, added:
“We are very pleased to be adding Eeze’s full product suite to our aggregation offering. With best-in-class live products and an exciting array of RNG games on the roadmap, we’re confident that our customers will enjoy the differentiation these titles bring to market.”
With this partnership, Eeze strengthens its footprint in regulated markets and positions its Fusion Roulette and slot titles for maximum visibility, giving operators a compelling mix of content to offer players worldwide.
The post Eeze signs global partnership with EveryMatrix appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Aristocrat Gaming
Aristocrat to Unveil New Class 2 Games at the 2026 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention
Aristocrat Gaming and Aristocrat Interactive to unveil a broad portfolio of new products at the 2026 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention (IGA) in San Diego, Calif., at booth #1629. Among the more than 60 innovations on display, highlights will include the tradeshow premiere of several Class 2 games; Class II Mobile, which bridges the gap between the casino floor and the digital world; Modernized Membership, designed to enhance operator-player relationships; and the newly acquired Gaming Analytics, bringing powerful data-driven insights to operators.
Aristocrat Gaming will reinforce its position as the leader in Class 2 gaming with several tradeshow premieres and expansions of player-favorite game families, including:
• Mr. Money Bags Makes Another Mint is a sequel to the original player-favorite, now with Triple Metamorphic features that can be triggered by themselves, in pairs, or all three at once. Plus, a new Frenzy Cash feature can trigger a wheel bonus for a chance at the Frenzy Jackpots SSP.
• Mr. & Ms. Money Bags brings the ever-popular Mr. Money Bags to a new stepper game and introduces a new VGT character – Ms. Money Bags. This all-new game appears on the new Marquis cabinet with a digital wheel showcase and a double metamorphic that can be triggered independently or together.
• Other titles on display include popular Class 3 hits, now available in Class 2: Coin Trio Buffalo, Spooky Link, and Bao Zhu Zhao Fu Ignite Blue and Red Prosperity.
Hardware also takes center stage, and the company’s games will appear on the industry’s leading cabinets in both Class 2 and Class 3. Aristocrat Gaming will show a breadth of content for The Baron Portrait, The Baron Upright, Crown Bartop, King Max, Marquis, MarsX Portrait, MarsX Upright, and Neptune Single cabinets.
Class 3 titles include Bao Zhu Zhao Fu Firecracker Express, Lightning 10 Year Storm, and Spooky Link Grand, which all recently made their official U.S. debuts. Also on display will be MONOPOLY Big Board Bucks and NFL Super Grand Champions, both first seen by attendees at G2E 2025. Finally, show attendees can look forward to seeing player-favorite titles such as The Hunt for Neptune’s Gold, Crazy Dragons, and Fo Mo Mummy.
Gaming Systems from Aristocrat Interactive are modernizing both the cardless and cashless membership journey, all while increasing operator efficiency, player loyalty, and maximizing loyalty programs. Software solutions on display include OASIS Loyalty, OASIS Connect, PlayerMax, and Oasis Digital Wallet. Transformative hardware solutions in the booth include nCompass and Intelligent Card Reader Pro.
Aristocrat Interactive iGaming & Sports will display the Class II Mobile Solution. Class II Mobile bridges the gap between the casino floor and the digital world by delivering player-favorite games anytime, anywhere on approved tribal gaming land. Class II Mobile is a full turn-key solution and is built on a proven tech stack. It extends the casino brand directly into players’ hands and helps to boost retention with built-in loyalty and real-time engagement, all while offering geolocation solutions. Class II Mobile can evolve into a full-scale digital ecosystem with built-in Sports and iGaming PAM built to scale.
Gaming Analytics, recently acquired by Aristocrat, is a U.S.-based provider of A.I. technology for real-time player analytics, slot optimization, and marketing automation, designed to work alongside traditional casino management systems. At IGA, Gaming Analytics will exhibit at booth #1406 with live demonstrations across slots, database marketing, and player development. The company will present examples of how casino teams use GA’s A.I. to reduce operational friction, speed decision-making, send real-time insights to host teams through its mobile app, and gain clearer floor visibility to identify performance issues.
The post Aristocrat to Unveil New Class 2 Games at the 2026 Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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